


Will You Rail Against Your Dying Day

by AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steven Universe Fusion, Angst, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-07-15 16:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16066955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate/pseuds/AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate
Summary: Joan and Talyn are new to town, and as such, decide to go explore the beach down by the ocean. There, they meet a boy their age named Thomas, and as they get to know him, begin to discover some surprising secrets about the town… especially when it comes to Thomas’s parents. Rated for swearing, hints of violence, a couple other things that aren’t SUPER graphic and happened in the past.





	1. If the Sun Don't Shine On Me Today

**Author's Note:**

> Yo… so, I know like 25% of the fandom has done something like this, but… I really wanted to write my own version. 
> 
> So! Notes on ages. Thomas, Joan, and Talyn are all 13 in this. Logan, Patton, and Roman have all been on Earth for about 20 years now (there’s a reason for it, trust me; it’s coming in later), and Remy is around 32 and works as a barista at the local Starbucks while he’s working on his music career. 
> 
> Anyway! Thanks for clicking on my trash. On with the story!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the fandoms or characters mentioned in this fic. I'm just playing around with the characters and worlds for a little bit.

“Joan! Come on, I want to explore the beach!” Talyn called, dashing down the slope towards the warm, sparkling sand. Joan sighed heavily and adjusted their beanie before following their bubbly best friend down towards the turquoise waves. Talyn dashed around, tossing sand into the air around them, and Joan hung back a bit and simply watched their friend have fun after being cramped into the moving van for the past few hours. 

 

 

Unfortunately, Talyn’s fun was cut short when they rounded a corner and let out a loud “Oomph!” Joan dashed to their friend’s side, concerned about what could have possibly happened. 

 

 

A kid a few years younger than Joan and Talyn was sprawled on the sand in front of Talyn, rubbing their head in pain. Talyn seemed mostly okay and was already beginning to pull themself up, so Joan took a moment to focus on the other kid. They had messy brown hair that had probably once been properly combed and styled but now flew about their face in every direction. Large brown eyes peered up at Joan, wide and molten like a fawn. Freckles dusted the person’s flushed cheeks, and they wore a pink-red T-shirt with a yellow star in the centre that was dusted with sand. 

 

 

“Uh… Hey, you okay, man? Actually, can I call you man? What’s your name? What are your pronouns? Are you hurt? Seriously?” Joan rambled, dashing forward and sticking out their hand to the kid on the ground. The kid quickly took their hand and allowed themselves to be levered upward, dusting themself off once they released Joan’s hand. Once they were done, they turned to Talyn and Joan, beaming. 

 

 

“I’m good, don’t worry! My name’s Thomas, and I use he/him pronouns. Who are you guys?” the kid, Thomas, grinned, his brown eyes lighting up as he spoke. Joan blinked in shock. This kid had literally had Talyn crash into him and met two random strangers, and he was smiling and being friendly? 

 

 

“I’m Talyn, they/them. And this is Joan, also they/them,” Talyn offered, sticking out their hand for a handshake. Thomas took it, his grin widening, as he chirped “Nice to meet you, Talyn!” 

 

 

“So, what are you doing out here on the beach?” Thomas asked, releasing Talyn’s hand and sticking his into the pockets of his jeans. 

 

 

“Oh, we just moved into town today, and we just came down here to explore a bit,” Joan explained, shrugging nonchalantly. Talyn nodded in agreement, and Thomas’s eyes widened. Stars appeared in Thomas’s eyes, and he clapped his hands together and squealed while bouncing up and down. 

 

 

“Oh, wow! You guys are around 13, right? If so, we’re the same age! Oh, that’s amazing! Wanna be friends?”

 

 

Joan blinked in shock. “You’re 13? I thought you were 8 or something!” Talyn gently slapped their shoulder, and they winced. “Sorry, no offense, Thomas. You’re just… really short for an 8-year-old.”

 

 

“I’m not that short!” Thomas shot back, puffing out his cheeks in frustration, which only served to make him appear more childish. Joan snorted at the ridiculous image while Talyn cooed, and this caused Thomas’s cheeks to puff out even more. 

 

 

“Anyway, do you live around here?” Joan asked when they finally stopped laughing. Thomas calmed down almost immediately, and his grin returned. 

 

 

“Yeah! I live on the house on the beachfront over there,” Thomas answered, pointing behind him. Joan grinned slightly. Honestly, living on the beachfront would be pretty cool. 

 

 

“Cool! Your parents must be pretty awesome to live with!” Talyn jumped in, a large grin stretching across their face. Thomas nodded and replied with a noncommittal “Yeah, they’re pretty chill.” 

 

 

“Oh! Also, would you like to come get doughnuts with us? We saw this really cool shop on the way down here, and it’s normal for us to get food with any new friends we make,” Joan offered. Thomas frowned slightly and threw a glance over his shoulder, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. 

 

 

“Patton told me that I should always get to know my new friends better… But Virgil and Logan always tell me to not go with new people… And I might scare them if I leave…” Thomas mumbled. After another few moments of indecision, he turns back to them with a shaky grin. “Sure,” he finally replies. Talyn cheers and loops an arm through Thomas’s and starts to drag him off with Joan trailing behind them. Joan smiled slightly to themself. This was going to be a fun outing. Thomas seemed like an interesting kid, and Joan couldn’t wait to get to know him better.

* * *

 

“Ah! Thomas! It’s nice to see you again, man,” Elliott called, pulling out their order from the display case. Thomas grinned and waved back with a “Hi, Elliott!” 

 

 

“Made some new friends?” Elliott asked, handing Talyn back their change. 

 

 

“Yeah! Joan and Talyn are really nice!” Thomas replied with a giant grin. Elliott snorted and reached across the counter to ruffle Thomas’s hair, a large smile on his face. 

 

 

“Actually, Thom, where’s your guardians? Aren’t they usually hovering over you at all hours of the day?” Elliott asked. The grin dropped off of Thomas’s face. 

 

 

“Yeah… I should get back before I make them worry. Virge has been having… not the greatest time… recently,” Thomas quietly answered. Joan opened their mouth, ready to ask what the hell Thomas was talking about, when the door to the shop was kicked open with a loud  _ bang _ . Joan, Talyn, and Thomas all startled and spun around to see what had happened, and Joan’s jaw dropped in shock at the person they saw in the doorway. 

 

 

The new arrival wasn’t super short, only around 5 and three quarters feet. Their hair was a dark red and was swept into fashionably messy waves. Their skin was a bright reddish-pink, and they wore red, gold, and white shorts with knee-high dark red and gold boots. A white tunic that was covered with a golden sash trailed behind the person as they stormed inside, their eyes sweeping the establishment for something. Finally, their red eyes settled on Thomas, and multiple emotions flashed through those ruby eyes and across their expressive face in the space of a couple milliseconds. They started to stalk over towards the three pre-teens, and Thomas shrunk back as they neared. Joan carefully positioned themself in front of Thomas, levelling a glare at the red-tinted person. 

 

 

“Thomas! There you are! Do you  _ know  _ how worried we’ve been?” they cried, pausing a couple of inches in Joan with a hand on their hip. 

 

 

“S-sorry, Roman. I just… found a couple new friends, and they wanted to go get doughnuts, and I figured you wouldn’t be super mad…?” Thomas offered, his voice pitching up as he spoke. The red-tinted figure, Roman, sighed heavily and took a step forward. Joan braced themself to be shoved aside, but when they finally reopened their eyes, they found that Thomas had been… pulled out from behind them and was halfway out the door. 

 

 

“Thomas!” Talyn and Joan yelled, lunging forward. They were too late, however, as Thomas and the red figure had vanished from sight before they could even reach the door. The two of them picked themselves up and brushed themselves off and spun around to face Elliott, confused. 

 

 

Elliott sighed and hopped up onto the counter, swinging his legs as he took a moment to compose himself. 

 

 

“So, you two should probably know a few things about your new friend Thomas Sanders…” 


	2. Don't Listen To A Word I Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joan and Talyn are beginning to learn a bit more about Thomas and his family... and beginning to question their sanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I have no words, just read this.

“Magical space rock aliens?” Joan echoed the older human, confusion painting their voice. Talyn wasn’t faring much better, their eyebrows bunched up and worrying their lip between their teeth. Elliott simply shrugged with the air of someone who had grown used to the strangeness a long time ago. 

 

“Yeah, they call themselves gems. There’s apparently four of them, but I’ve only ever met two. One of them is Roman, the one who just barged in here and dragged Thomas back out. The other is Patton, who’s super tall and light blue and a giant sweetheart. The other two apparently don’t leave the house much, but I’m assuming they’re pretty cool as well.” 

 

“Still… magical alien space rocks?! What the fuck?!” Joan screeched. Elliott just rolled their eyes and said “Yep. Get used to it, since it’s not going to change no matter how many times you screech it for all the world to hear.” 

 

“I mean… Aren’t you at least a little freaked out by it?” Talyn asked, shoving the last of their doughnut into their mouth. Elliott just shrugged in response. 

 

“Not really, no. I’ve grown up with them around. Hell, Patton babysat for me when no one else could. They’re a normal part of life around here, so I’d suggest trying to get to know Roman and Patton at least.” 

 

“Yeah! Padre and I are great, I promise!” a semi-familiar voice called from the doorway. Joan and Talyn jumped and spun around to see the reddish person who had burst in to drag Thomas off not fifteen minutes ago. Thomas was standing next to them, smiling sheepishly at the two pre-teens. 

 

“Roman, Thomas. Back so soon? You seemed… a bit frantic a few minutes ago,” Elliott ventured. 

 

“Yeah, well… Thomas was really upset that I just yanked him away from his new friends and demanded that I come back to apologize,” the-red-person-who-was-probably-named-Roman answered, shrugging. “Anyway, sorry for startling you. I’m Roman, he/him pronouns.” 

 

“I’m Joan, they/them. And this is Talyn, also they/them,” Joan offered, sticking out their hand. Roman quickly took it and shook it excitedly, almost tearing Joan’s arm off in the process. 

 

“Roman, easy! Not everyone’s used to your strength!” Thomas cried, lunging forward to grab Joan’s hand back from Roman. Joan breathed a small sigh of relief as their hand was pulled from the crushing grip, and Roman’s eyes widened in horror. 

 

“Oh my stars I am so sorry, Joan, did I hurt you, I’m sorry, here let me help, Thomas help your friend, I didn’t mean to-” Roman rambled, dashing forward and cradling Joan’s hand before shoving it in Thomas’s direction. 

 

“Uh… Roman, right? I’m fine, relax,” Joan started, but Roman apparently didn’t hear them and started babbling about Thomas fixing his fragile flesh-friend (what the hell was that about?!). Thomas sighed and grabbed Joan’s hand, gently pulling them away from Roman. 

 

“Roman, seriously. Joan’s fine. No need to freak out.” Thomas sighed, rolling his eyes at the crazy alien who had apparently helped to raise him. 

 

“Ah. I’m just making sure,” Roman mumbled, shifting on his feet awkwardly. Joan opened their mouth, maybe to tell Roman it was no big deal, maybe to ask Roman and Thomas some more questions, when the door was thrown open with even more force than Roman’s kick. 

 

“Are you kidding me?! Am I going to need to replace that door?!” Elliott screeched before their eyes widened in shock. Talyn’s jaw was practically on the floor, and Joan turned around to look and promptly decided that their jaw had probably joined Talyn’s on the polished tile floor. A tall, well-built person with light blue skin, messy white-blonde hair, and piercing turquoise eyes stood in the doorway, hands on their hips as they glared at Roman. 

 

“Roman! You can’t just tell us that you found Thomas and that you’re on your way back and then not show up!”  the new person yelled, eyes flashing with rage and… concern? Was that concern? Joan couldn’t tell because they were too busy fending off the tears welling up in their eyes. Why were they crying? There was no reason for them to be crying. 

 

“Patton! It’s okay, calm down, I’m okay, just calm down please!” Thomas yelped, diving out from behind Roman and placing himself in between the tall blue person— Patton, most likely— and everyone else in the shop. The rage drained from Patton’s frame almost instantaneously, and Joan immediately felt much more like they had before. Seriously, this town was weird. Joan never had mood swings  _ that  _ intense and sudden. 

 

“Oh, Thomas, I didn’t mean to scare you, kiddo,” Probably-Patton whispered, squatting down so they were closer to Thomas’s height. “I was worried about you and Roman, and I let my feelings spiral out of control. I’m sorry.” 

 

“You’re good, Patton. I’m sorry for worrying you,” Thomas murmurs back, wrapping his arms around the blue-skinned humanoid. After a prolonged hug, Thomas wriggled free and beamed. “Oh, yeah! Patton! Come meet my new friends!” With that, he almost yanked Patton off their feet as he hurried over to Joan and Talyn, grinning the whole way. 

 

“Hi, kiddos! I’m Patton, he/him pronouns please! Nice to meet some of Thomas’s friends!” Patton chirped, hugging both Joan and Talyn tightly. Joan stiffened, and Patton pulled away immediately, guilt flashing through his teal eyes. 

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry kiddos, did I hurt you, I should have asked first-” Patton babbled, and this time Talyn stepped up to soothe the anxious man. 

 

“Patton, you’re fine! Joan was just startled- they’re not a huge fan of contact at all, actually- and you didn’t hurt either of us.” Patton relaxed and gave them both a relieved, goofy grin. 

 

Roman cleared his throat. “Should we… start heading back?” Patton’s smile dropped, as did Thomas’s. 

 

“Yeah… we probably should…” Patton murmured. Thomas frowned, seemingly deep in thought, when his eyes brightened. 

 

“Why can’t Joan and Talyn come back with us?” he asked, his eyes shining with joy at having thought of a solution. Patton frowned in concentration, but seemed to warm up to the idea almost immediately, as did Roman. The red gem began to bounce on the balls of his feet and seemed to be trying to contain his excitement, his hips swishing in an obvious beginning to a dance. 

 

“Oh, that would be just marvelous! I can show them around the beach and take them on adventures!” Roman cried, giggling a bit as he yelled. 

 

“And I can finally try my cooking out on someone else!” Patton squealed, hands clapping together in excitement. “It’s been so long, and I can only stand so many rejections from Logan-” Patton cut himself off, the colour draining from his cheeks. Roman noticed and calmed down almost instantly, his left hand moving towards his right palm. 

 

“Patton? Everything gucci?” Patton gulped. 

 

“Logan and Virgil. I forgot about Logan and Virgil,” Patton whispered. The colour drained from Roman’s cheeks as well, and Joan wondered with a sinking feeling what was so bad about Logan and Virgil. 

 

“They would freak out,” Roman murmured, running a hand roughly through his hair. Thomas bit his lip, and Roman began to pace, muttering to himself under his breath in what Joan assumed was Spanish. 

 

“We could… just warn them ahead of time? Like, one of us goes in first, tells them, and then bring Joan and Talyn in?” Thomas suggested. Patton shook his head. 

 

“No, no, not enough warning. And if one of us comes back without you, that will be just as bad.” Elliott cleared their throat and leaned over the counter. 

 

“May I suggest just having them come over tomorrow morning? That way, you have the night to prep Logan and Virgil for strangers, and Joan and Talyn can still meet up with Thomas and get to know him better. Best of both worlds.” Roman spun around, eyes lit with burning passion again, as he dashed across the shop, grabbed Elliott’s face, and pulled them into a passionate kiss. 

 

“Oh, Elliott, you brilliant person! That’s a wonderful idea!” With that, Roman seized Patton and Thomas by the wrists and dragged them out the door, tossing a “Meet Thomas at the beach at 8 tomorrow morning! It was lovely meeting you!” over his shoulder before he and his captives vanished completely. Joan blinked, surprised and confused. 

 

“Well, there you have it,” Elliott drawled. “Those are the gems.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you all so much for getting this far! Feel free to yell at me in the comments, I'll see you guys next time!
> 
> ~Logan


	3. You Opened the Door (You Gave Him a Ride)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joan and Talyn finally meet the last two gems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, really short, super sorry, I'm busy but didn't want to keep you all waiting?

Joan checked their phone for what seemed like the fifth time that morning. “It’s almost 8, where the hell are they?” 

 

“I’m sure they just slept in a bit, give them a bit,” Elliott drawled, scrolling through Tumblr on their phone. Joan nodded but kept fidgeting, concerned. Talyn was nomming a donut and shooting them strange looks, but Joan waved them off. Okay, so maybe they were worried. They just wanted to know that Thomas was okay, was that a crime? 

 

A tinkling bell sounded and Joan shot to their feet, beaming. Thomas walked in, holding the hand of an extremely tall person in all purple and black and the hand of a really short person clad in indigo. He perked up once he saw Joan and released the hands of the two people, dashing over to wrap them and Talyn in a tight hug. 

 

“I’m happy to see you! How was your night? Are you settling in okay? Have you eaten? Are you guys happy?” Thomas babbled. Joan laughed and gently pushed Thomas back, grinning. 

 

“We’re fine, Thomas. Who are your friends?” Talyn asks, pointing at the two other figures who stood, frozen, staring at Thomas as though any second he was going to break. Thomas beamed and pulled Joan and Talyn over, oblivious to the tension. 

 

“The really tall one is Virgil! And the shorter one is Logan. Logan, Virgil, these are Joan and Talyn, my new friends!” Both shot each other looks, and Joan winced a bit internally. Oh, this was not going to end well. 

 

“N-nice to meet you two, Joan and Talyn… I’m Virgil, he/they…” the tall one, Virgil, murmured, slowly extending a hand. Talyn took it gently, carefully shaking it twice before slowly releasing the hand. They didn’t want to startle Virgil further, but they didn’t want to seem rude either. 

 

Virgil relaxed a bit, seeing that Talyn was not going to hurt him, and he turned to Logan, smiling softly. “Hey, L, it’s okay, they’re not going to hurt you.” The short one, Logan, gulped and carefully stepped forward, toes pointed like a ballerina’s. 

 

“Salutations, I am Logan. I prefer he/him, but they/them would be acceptable as well,” Logan murmured. Joan stepped forward this time to shake Logan’s hand, making sure to telegraph their movements and be gentle. Logan was shaking but managed to get through the handshake before bolting back to Virgil, hiding behind him and peering out at Joan and Talyn with wide blue eyes. Thomas smiles softly and turns to face the two other humans. 

 

“Want to come back to the house, or stay here?” Thomas asked. 

 

“Your house sounds nice,” Joan answered, and Talyn nodded. Thomas nodded in acknowledgement and turned to Virgil and Logan. 

 

“Here or the house?” he asks. Virgil made a quick shape with his hands, Logan nodded in agreement, and Thomas made some more hand motions back before turning to Joan and Talyn. “House it is.” With that, he grabbed both Virgil and Logan’s hands and walked out, calling out a goodbye to Elliott, and Joan and Talyn followed. 

 

“So, er… Talyn. Joan. How… how old are you?” Virgil asked as soon as they hit the edge of town, chewing their bottom lip. Logan seems to be trying to vanish into their hooded sweater, and Thomas is smiling at everyone, clearly trying to make them all feel comfortable. 

 

“Um… we’re both thirteen,” Talyn answered, shrugging slightly at Joan. Joan shrugged back, confused and honestly having no idea how to handle this situation. 

 

“Good, good, that’s… that’s nice. Thomas’s age. Are you… are you going to school soon? It’s… almost the end of summer…” Virgil babbled, biting his fingernails. Logan leaned over to squeeze Virgil’s shoulder in support before turning to Joan and Talyn. 

 

“Yeah, we’re going to school. Is Thomas?” Logan bit his lip and pondered the answer. 

 

“We… we typically homeschool him?” Logan looked nervous, and an awful thought began to form in Joan’s head. Was Logan… scared of people? 

 

“But, Logan, didn’t you tell me I could start eighth grade at a public school?” Thomas asked, bouncing up and down. Logan swallowed and nodded, fidgeting a little as the group walked along the beach. Joan blinked and opened their mouth, about to ask what was wrong, when the house came into view. Thomas took off across the sand, screaming for Roman and Patton, much to Virgil and Logan’s clear annoyance. Virgil took off after Thomas while Logan stayed behind, walking calmly with Joan and Talyn. 

 

“Would… do you two think sending Thomas to public school is a good idea…?” Logan asked quietly, fidgeting with the hem of their dress. Joan and Talyn looked at each other, understanding passing between them, before they both turned to Logan and nodded. 

 

“It would be good for him to interact with kids his own age,” Joan answered. “You’ve done an extremely good job getting him here, but he should also have friends close to his age.” 

 

“You’re right… I’m just scared to let him go…” 

 

“Everyone is. But I think he might be a bit happier if you let him go to school,” Talyn soothed. “Just… give it a year. If he hates it, you can always go back to homeschooling.” Logan perked up at that, smiling a bit. 

 

“You’re quite right, Talyn… my thanks, you two.” He paused. “Oh, are you hungry? Patton made breakfast. I personally am not a fan, but perhaps…?” 

 

“Yeah! Let’s go!” Talyn cheered, sprinting for the door. Joan gently grabbed Logan’s hand and squeezed it, startling the person who was only a couple of inches taller than Joan. 

 

“It’ll be okay, Logan. Nothing bad is going to happen,” Joan promised. Logan looked at their hands, then up to the house, and finally out to the ocean, unreadable emotions flickering through his eyes. 

 

“I suppose so, Joan. Not if I have any say in it, at least.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Please tell me what you think, and I'll see you all next chapter! 
> 
> ~Logan

**Author's Note:**

> So... thanks for reading... Seriously, why am I such a shitty author...? 
> 
> There's more coming, if you did enjoy it. I'm almost done with Chapter Two, and I'm already drafting for at least 10 chapters, so... there's that... 
> 
> I'm just having a really crappy day today, I don't even know. Thanks for reading! Honestly, thank you. If you want to, you can comment down below. Just please, no flames. Concrit is perfectly acceptable, however. 
> 
> I'll see you guys the next time I update something! Thanks for reading!


End file.
